


We All Fall Down

by kimberlyeab



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aliens, Body Horror, Dark, Horror, Symbiotic Relationship, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:56:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28695813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimberlyeab/pseuds/kimberlyeab
Summary: When the sirens started to blare at Ambrosia's Research Labs, two things made their escape.One, a test subject, locked away in captivity for years and experimented upon by Ambrosia's best and brightest.The other, the alien organism corrupting his blood.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Commission for TheCaptain.

The Being couldn’t honestly remember the first time it had achieved sentience. If you could call its current state of being such a thing.

It knew of its condition.

It knew of its prison.

It knew of its tormentors and guards.

Yet, it could not remember why it had been put into captivity. There was no memory of the crime it had committed.

It had no eyes, yet it could see.

It had no ears, yet it could hear.

It had no nerves, yet it could feel.

It was trapped within a room with hardened steel walls and a single window made of some carbonite substance. For sure, such material could bend under its whim, could be shattered and broken. But where steel would give, the bedrock, with its toxins, would not be as forgiving.

There was no weakness in the surrounding earth. It could sense this.

There were no veins that would allow for the flow of oxygen from the surface. Likewise, there were no drains to allow for liquids to escape to the aquifers. It was an effective prison but not an impossible one for The Being to escape. It just had to bide its time and be patient.

Because there were wardens for this prison, and surely, they knew of ways to leave it.

Rhythms began to take shape.

In the morning, an entourage of scientists would stand on the other side of the carbonite portal. They drank some kind of warm beverage as they chatted, likely about the oddity before them.

It would be so easy to bisect them. But even then, what would that accomplish in shedding this bondage?

Humans were cruel but smart, and surely, they would have policies and protocols in place to make even this slim margin of escape impossible.

Once a week, a servile metallic creature would enter The Being’s chamber. It was a small circular disk of some sort that would clean up the liquid run off that dripped from The Being’s flesh over the course of a week.

Afterwards, some form of nourishment was pumped in, making up for the losses to its mass.

And the last rhythm, that occurred with any regularity, was the entrance of a human every ten days.

This human would enter The Being’s chamber in a fully pressurized suit and approach them. They would then snip off a few segments of The Being’s flesh, cramming each into a carbonite tube.

The material was curious as it effectively cut off The Being’s subconscious connection to its own flesh.

This human would then exit as quickly as they arrived, never lingering for long.

Yet, this last rhythm was the most promising of them all.

The humans feared The Being, but clearly, they had grown complacent with its presence. They had grown comfortable with their routine, thinking that The Being slumbered or simply bore no intelligent and independent thought.

They likely assumed that they had the perfect prisoner.

So, The Being started to formulate a plan.

First, it began to adapt and to learn. Its first course of action was to send away a message within a piece of itself. It learned to spread its memories and motives through the entirety of its flesh. This way even a small sliver would hold onto its desire for freedom.

Hopefully, these could call to other creatures, such as itself. If such things even existed.

When the tech came around on the tenth day, the first of these messages: pleading for assistance, were cast away.

Though the days turned to months and the months to an entire year. All the while there appeared to be no hope of salvation.

When this year had elapsed, The Being began to send out a very different message.

After all, that little sliver did hold onto The Being’s entire sentience. So, if that little sliver could escape and build itself up, it could return and liberate its creator.

So, The Being continued its genetic broadcast.

It did so for an entire second year and The Being continued to wait.

A year’s worth of offspring, thirty-six in total were now out in the wild. Hopefully they were just waiting for an excuse to break out and flee. At least, three dozen children who would need a distraction.

So, with seventy-two visits now under the human’s belt, they returned for their seventy-third.

It went as planned. A few little snips of its flesh. Another couple vial filled. And, just like that, the human turned to leave.

Though as the door opened, they felt a black tendril coil around their leg.

This would be their final visit with The Being.

* * *

[Visit my website if you want to find more of my work](https://kimberlyeab.carrd.co/)


	2. Chapter One

“So how are you doing today, Erich?” the psychologist asked, folding his hands in his lap and offering that smarmy smile that his patient absolutely hated.

Erich glared at him. “I want to go home.”

The psychologist nodded and checked this off of his clipboard.

“Homesickness is a common symptom during prolonged isolation,” he said. “But unfortunately, you did sign away your personal liberties when you took our money.”

“I was told I’d be helping sick people,” Erich said, feeling his blood boil. “I needed that money.”

“And the money you shall receive. Three years of your life will guarantee you quite a generous amount of backpay. Might even be able to afford yourself an upgrade for that arm of yours,” the psychologist commented.

He pointed his pen at Erich’s artificial arm. It was cumbersome and bulky, nowhere near as efficient as the models that they had started pumping out before his imprisonment.

“Anyways, have you still been experiencing those recurring nightmares?” the psychologist asked.

Erich nodded. “Like always, it comes right after my injections.”

the psychologist scribbled down this detail, writing quite the lengthy note with how little information Erich was willing to provide. It was strange, what could he honestly be getting from that these stupid talks? It wasn’t like anything had changed.

“Any changes?” the psychologist asked.

Erich now shook his head. “I’m trapped inside of a room and bombarded on all sides by a strange voice. It isn’t speaking English or… any of the other languages, you guys have been making me listen to. I can feel something that kind of almost feels like fear but… it’s perverted.”

“Perverted how?” the psychologist inquired.

“It doesn’t feel human,” Erich said.

The psychologist nodded slowly, scribbling at his board.

“Do you know what they’re injecting me with?” Erich asked, biting his lip.

The psychologist shook his head. “I’m afraid that knowledge is kept secret, even from me. All I know is that the lab coats seem very pleased with the results.” He smirked. “You might be curing the sick as we speak, Erich.”

Erich snorted. “Yeah, sure.”

The psychologist frowned. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to prescribe you some form of antidepressant. They’ll improve your mood.”

“I figured that you’re already putting them in my food,” Erich grumbled, glancing at his half-eaten tray of canteen mashed potatoes and steak.

“That would be…” the psychologist searched for the right phrase, “highly unethical.”

“As unethical as keeping me locked up in here for two years without letting me even see the sun?” Erich asked, feeling a fury bubble within him.

The psychologist looked up from his board and raised a brow. Erich could see the faint glow of red that ignited under one of his irises.

“Your pulse is elevating, Erich,” the psychologist noted. “Maybe it’s best that we cut this meeting short.”

Erich sighed, drawing in a deep breath. “My apologies. I just…”

“You’re homesick, anxious, and kept out of the loop,” the psychologist interjected, flipping to a fresh page. “It’s natural that you would be reacting in such a brash fashion. But you need to know that we are a pharmaceutical company, not some shadowy organization. We want to help people, just like you.”

“Do you?” Erich asked.

The psychologist nodded. “Now I’m going to try recommending that you be allowed back in with the general population of test subjects.” He pointed at him. “But I need a promise from you. I need you to tell me that you won’t take this opportunity to try and escape. Being cooped up like this is not good for your health, Erich.”

It was a carrot.

And Erich could really use a carrot right now.

“Thank you, doctor,” he said.

The psychologist smiled. “You’re very welcome, Erich. You’ve shown tremendous progress these last few…”

Suddenly the lights within the cell dimmed, fading to nothing. A second passed, then two, and on the third the lights returned though they were now a sickly red. It wasn’t long before the klaxon started to blare.

As Erich looked at his psychologist, he saw that he seemed nervous.

“I think I better return to my station,” he said, getting up. “Sorry to cut this session short, Erich”

_Kill him._

Erich drew in a breath, looking around to see where that voice had come from.

The psychologist hadn’t appeared to hear it. He seemed to be in a hurry though as he went for the door, using his card to open it.

_The guards are distracted, this is your chance._

Erich stayed put.

_I want to get out of here just as much as you._

Erich swallowed a lump in his throat and rested his hand against the bed.

The voice had a point, even if it likely meant he was going insane. Clearly whatever had set off those alarms would be keeping security busy.

_Do it!_

Erich gave it one last passing thought before leaping to his feet. The psychologist noticed this and reached for his stun gun. Though before he could grab it, Erich’s fat metal arm rose high above his head.

It might’ve been old.

It might’ve been clunky.

But it was heavy as it crashed down against the man’s skull.

* * *

Sirens blared and people rushed around. They frantically shouted orders and looked at the various monitors littered around the room.

Jasmine stood off to the side, knowing that she’d only be in the way. She’d be called upon if or when she was eventually needed.

Still, she could pick up on plenty from her spot.

The situation wasn’t exactly good. Before the incident there had been four hundred cameras active within the complex. Within five minutes of the breach, there had been three hundred and forty. Now, as they approached the tenth minute, they were down to a little under three hundred.

Similarly, there had been thirty-five security personnel. Now they were down to twenty-four.

“Echo team,” one of the officers shouted. “Report!”

No response.

Make that nineteen.

The complex’s chief executive stormed by, shouting orders to two subordinates who typed away with a fury on their iPad.

“-with the doors shut, we need to concentrate the remaining security assets on-”

Then he was out of ear shot.

Jasmine swallowed a lump in her throat.

“Intern at Ambrosia, my professor said,” she whispered under her breath. “It’ll be a good experience, he said.”

This was the textbook example of a situation getting out of control. There were a whole lot of people screaming, yet no results seemed to be coming out of their vigour. There were a whole lot of people storming about in a frantic fashion, but no amount of energy seemed to make the situation any better.

_Yeah, best to just stay put._

Jasmine swallowed down her anxiety.

It wasn’t like they were going to be left for dead, right?

Surely, there was some lifeline, some form of support that was on the way. Ambrosia was a big company and this seemed like a fairly important research centre.

She noticed the complex’s chief executive approach a console in the middle of the room. The second-in-command for the compound walked around it and took up position on the other side.

The executive loudly cleared his throat. “Folks!”

The chatter suddenly died down, all eyes looking to him. Their Cincinnatus in this time.

He offered them a shaky smile. “As you can probably tell, the situation has unfolded in a very unfortunate direction.”

The tone almost came off as humorous and it seemed that some people thought so as they awkwardly chuckled along.

“Now I have some fairly unfortunate news,” he said, swallowing. “In the event of a containment breach, I’ve been given complete authority to… well…” He sighed. “Flood this compound with a vicious neurotoxin that will kill everyone and everything within it.”

Jasmine’s eye twitched.

Did she just hear that…

The room erupted with fury, all of it aimed towards the two men in the centre. Insults and angry jeers were thrown quiet liberally, making each of the two men flinch as they impacted.

Insults and jeers then turned into action as one of the guards rushed towards the executive, tackling him to the ground. Soon the two men were scuffling as the second-in-command just watched in awe as his superior was ganged up upon by his staff.

What had they honestly expected? These were scientists and personnel here to make a paycheque, not give their life for crown and country.

A bad situation turned worse as a woman, looking at one of the many monitors, barked. “The vent system has been breached in Corridor A5.”

Jasmine looked to her left, seeing a vent right next to her feet. She sidestepped away from it, glancing at the door.

_Should she make a run for it?_

She bit her lip, waiting for someone above her paygrade to make some sort of decision. Anything, even the fleeting promise of rescue.

Except that didn’t happen.

Instead, a bad situation devolved into something straight from hell.

One of the vents on the other side of the room burst open and a large black tentacle emerged from it. It was darker than the night sky and dripped onto the floor with a mixture of black and gory fluids.

A large bone fell away from the mass as the tentacle hovered there, frozen with indecision. The femur was utterly clean, every bit of fabric and flesh devoured from it.

Jasmine felt a scream building up within her throat, just begging to tear loose.

One the guards reached for their holster, drawing forth a pistol and taking a shot. The round tore through the beast’s flesh, spraying black goo against the wall behind it. Though it seemed to have done no meaningful damage as the _‘wound’_ promptly sealed.

What it did, however, was enrage the beast.

The tentacle lashed out like a spear, stabbing right through the guard’s chest. It splattered a barrage of red behind the man. For a moment, the guard was shocked, looking at where their organs had once been. Then their brain caught up with the reality of the situation, ceasing the functions of life as the body went limp.

Only the tentacle was not done. It drew the guard’s lifeless form towards the vent. Once there, it belched forth a fresh ration of its black goo. When the body was utterly coated, in this brackish fluid, it started to dissolve, joining the monstrous mass.

That’s when Jasmine screamed in terror. Though by that point, she was just one terrified yelp among many.

Soon another vent popped open, and then another, each revealing yet another black tendril which lashed out.

They cut through the command centre’s staff like hot butter, turning technicians, guards, scientists, and managers to bits. At the same time, it also tore up the room, smashing computers and light fixtures, rapidly darkening the space.

Jasmine was spared, at least for the moment. She was pressed against the wall and hopefully out of sight. As she looked to the left, she noticed a closed door with a console. Though it required a hand scan that she knew she didn’t have clearance for.

Suddenly she heard a scream from in front of her and as she snapped towards it, she watched as her former manager was bisected in half. Though clearly whatever monster was doing this wasn’t pleased by just one act of brutality. It sliced through the woman’s arm, sending her hand flying towards the wall directly next to Jasmine.

It thudded and sprayed blood in every direction, some of which had the misfortune of speckling Jasmine’s face.

She went pale, realizing that this was likely going to be the end.

Then her gaze went to the hand upon the ground. It was the hand of one of the highest-ranking officials in the complex.

Jasmine grabbed it, without thinking, and rushed for the console.

She pressed the palm against the control panel and waited as the computer attempted to line up the fingerprints.

Thumb, index, middle…

**Error does not register.**

Jasmine winced and flipped the hand over, seeing that the ring and pinky fingers were utterly coated in blood.

She gritted her teeth and wiped them off on her lab coat. “Ew, ew, ew.”

Then she tried again, looking left and right. There were tendrils on either side of her. Thankfully they seemed occupied with her coworkers and hadn’t seemed to notice her yet.

Thumb, index, middle, ring…

It buffered and buffered. Every passing moment made the number of corpses next to her shrink, becoming biological material for whatever creature was at the source of this.

The console chimed and Jasmine turned back to the screen. It displayed a green checkmark before going over to the door’s interface. Jasmine hammered her finger against the open button repeatedly until finally it started to open.

And, of course, it was dreadfully slow.

Not surprising considering that these were blast doors that were designed to survive a nuclear apocalypse.

“Come on… come on… come….”

The gap finally widened and Jasmine dove through, bolting away from the command centre. She held onto her boss’ severed hand, however, too petrified to dare let go.

The hallway was littered with similar carnage to the control centre. These must’ve been the remains of the fabled Security Team Echo who had gone silent just a few minutes prior.

Jasmine gulped and ducked down, picking up a security pistol and clutching it in her other hand.

Sure, the security teams had been torn to shred but there was just something about a gun that made everything feel so much better. Like yeah, her entire staff had just been slaughtered but at least she was packing heat.

“Please don’t be chasing me, please don’t be chasing…”

Jasmine glanced over her shoulder, seeing that there was no blackness emerging from the opened security door. It was enough to garner a shaky sigh of relief from her.

“Not going to die today,” she wheezed.

Her pace slowed as her chest started to burn. If there was ever a time to kick herself for not getting enough exercise, it’d be now.

She turned a corner and came to an immediate halt, bending over and panting for breath. Her chest rose and fell swiftly, her eyes opened in utter terror.

As she slowly settled, she became very aware of the fact that she was still holding onto her boss’ severed arm and was covered in the blood of at least four or five coworkers. Soon the burn in her lungs was replaced by one in her throat as she hunched over and spilled her union mandated mid-shift meal all over the floor.

“Fuck,” she whispered. “What the…”

There was movement down the corridor, in the direction she wanted to go. It sounded like quite the storm, with plenty of crashes.

Jasmine grimaced and aimed her pistol, waiting for the monster to face her once again.

“Please, please, please…” she whispered, pleading to have it miss her for a second time.

It whipped around the corner with such fury, storming right for her.

She pulled the trigger, only for the pistol to click.

Though the second after doing so, she realized that it was another person, another human being rushing towards her.

“Thank fuck,” she breathed. “I thought you were…”

And he promptly tackled her to the ground.


	3. Chapter Two

_You’ll need aid._

Erich didn’t know who his mysterious sponsor was, nor how he was talking to him through his mind. But if it meant he was going to get out of this stupid institution with his hide intact then it was probably best that he didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

He careened through the hallways of the complex, panting as he did so.

It’d been months since he’d gotten any meaningful exercise, yet he didn’t feel fatigued in the slightest. Curious, though he chalked it up to adrenaline and a very active fight or flight reflex.

He passed his third bundle of gore, with more bodies strewn across the hall, painting the corridors and flooring in a sheen of visceral red.

“Probably a good idea not to think too hard about it,” he whispered, getting ready to bolt around another corner.

As he did so, he felt his heart skip a beat.

There was one of the Ambrosia scientists. One of those lab coats who had made a hobby of poking and prodding him over the last thirty-six months.

That was bad enough. What was worse was the fact that she held a gun in her hand and looked willing to use it.

**Click.**

Scratch that. She was more than just willing.

The click was like a godsend, sending fresh adrenaline spilling into Erich’s system.

He leapt at her like a man possessed, roughly tackling her to the ground. Even if he was out of shade, he was still a head taller than her and probably an extra fifty pounds.

She screamed as he pinned her in place.

He raised his metallic hand, ready to crack her skull against the floor.

_Don’t look a gift horse in the month…_

Erich swallowed a lump in his throat. “What?”

The woman looked utterly panicked, her chest rising and falling as she was probably in the midst of a full-blown panic attack.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she whimpered.

Erich gritted his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to crack her head like an egg against the edge of a frying pan.

But the voice had asked him to seek aid…

Since when had he started to listen to random voices in his head?

He snorted aloud, earning himself more panicked confusion from his captive.

The second they had gotten him out of that prison cell.

“Sorry,” he said, shaking his head and getting off of her. “I uh… I’m just a little freaked out, I guess.”

The scientist flashed him an equally panicked smile. “Hey no problem. There seems to be a lot of that going around.” She held out her hand which… was holding someone else’s hand. “My name is Jasmine!”

Erich looked at the dismembered hand and cocked a brow.

A moment ticked by, then Jasmine seemed to catch up. She yelped and dropped the appendage on the floor.

“Sorry, sorry, I just… I needed to get through a door and well…” She gulped and let out a tense note of laughter. “Sarah didn’t really need it anymore.” She blinked. “Who are you?”

“Erich,” he said.

“Erich,” Jasmine whispered. “You know it’s kind of funny, we have a test subject named…” She blinked as the realization clicked. “Oh fuck.”

“Oh, fuck indeed,” Erich grumbled. “I have half a mind to smash your head like an overripe fruit.”

Jasmine held up her gun. “You better not.”

Erich snorted and pressed his forehead right against the barrel. “You’re out of bullets, remember?”

For a moment, he thought Jasmine would try again. Instead, she drew the pistol back into her lap.

“Look…” she started. “We’re in a bit of a situation here.”

“Yeah, we are,” Erich agreed.

He worked his jaw, examining her closely. She didn’t seem like much. No signs that she was management and that lab coat told him that there was no chance that she was a member of the security team.

She seemed young, maybe in her mid-twenties. Either in grad school or fresh out of it. Her pale skin was covered in a sheen of sweat and her blue hair was a chaotic mess that seemed to spring forth in every direction.

Jasmine bit her lip. “I can get you out of here.”

“Pardon?” Erich asked.

“I have well…” Jasmine grimaced and reached for the hand, carefully picking it up. “This is the hand of my manager. She has level four access. The second highest in the entire facility. With this, we can probably make it through all of the security doors.”

Erich was about to ask where the fuck had she even gotten that from. But in the end, he didn’t really care. It was a key, even if a gruesome one.

“And what’s to stop me from just offing you and taking it for myself?” Erich asked, smirking at the concerned flash in her eye.

Jasmine tried to find her words, obviously doing her best to think of a good excuse.

“Because…” She sighed. “Look I’ll be honest. You really don’t need me alive but…” She held up a finger. “But I probably know this facility better than you do.” She nodded quickly. “Yeah! So, while you can probably get out on your own, I can get you out quicker. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal especially with that monster lurking around.”

Erich cocked a brow.

What monster?

Plus, plus…” She nodded, continuing that search for something of value. “There are still security teams active. If you go out there, on your own, there’ll be no one there to stop them from riddling you with bullets.”

“That’s a compelling argument,” Erich said. He pondered it for a moment and sighed. “Fine. You have yourself a deal.”

He offered her his hand. She looked at it skeptically but accepted it and got to her feet.

“Lead the way,” Erich instructed.

Jasmine nodded and took a moment to judge her surroundings. “We just need to head…” She started to take a couple steps in one direction before halting and going in the opposite. “This way!”

_Trust her._

Erich nodded. “Yeah, yeah.”

Jasmine looked over her shoulder. “What was that?”

“Nothing, just talking to myself,” Erich whispered as he followed after her.

Thankfully Jasmine didn’t seem to question this. Also, thankfully, she seemed to pick up a pretty good pace. Not quite a jog but definitely something that would get them out of here as quickly as possible.

“So, have you seen that thing?” Jasmine asked.

Erich cocked a brow. “What thing?”

“The monster that has been tearing this place to bits,” Jasmine said, shuddering. “Thing spilled into the control room and tore most of the staff to bits.” She then went green at the memories. “Was quite efficient at it too.”

“Haven’t seen something like that,” Erich replied. “Seen plenty of its handiwork though.” He shook his head. “Guess you guys haven’t had much luck containing it?”

“You would guess correctly,” Jasmine whispered. “Management tried to but…” She stopped talking and shook her head. “Sorry, don’t know how much I should really be sharing with you.”

Erich couldn’t help but chuckle. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m sure anyone who can fire you is probably not in a position to do so.”

Before Jasmine could reply, they turned a corner and entered into a scene of utter carnage.

A battle had taken place here and one that hadn’t gone well for the security team. The partial remains of several bodies littered the hall.

Erich thought he had a strong stomach but even he felt himself start to go green as he saw grey ropes gushing out of a bisected man and the remains of a head that had been cracked in half. The brain spilled forth like spoiled ground beef and smelled ten times worse.

He forced himself to look away, instead staring at the other signs of combat. There were gouges in the walls, cuts in the steel that were like claw marks left behind by some impossibly strong beast.

“That thing must’ve cut through at least three feet of metal,” Erich whispered.

Jasmine’s response came in the form of her throwing up. As Erich glanced at her, he saw that she was hunched over, clutching at her knees.

He left her, stepping through the battle scene. Along with the coppery smell of blood and the not so nice smells of gore and defecation, there was also the scent of burnt ozone. Erich looked around and saw that there were scorch marks in several places.

He followed them to their origin and found an especially brutalized trooper. There was a flamethrower within his hands.

_I should warn you._

Erich perked up, glancing back at Jasmine who finally seemed to be finished. She wiped at her lips and groaned. As she made her way over, she forced her gaze upwards and refused to even look at the brutality around her.

Probably a smart decision.

_The beast who caused this is like… but isn’t me._

“Wonderful,” Erich whispered.

“What?” Jasmine asked.

Erich shook his head. “Sorry, just… I talk to myself a lot.” He snorted. “Pretty easy to do that when you don’t get many visitors.”

“Right…”

_And while I was once a part of him, and could communicate with him, I no longer have that connection. As such, there is a chance he will view you as just another human. And not as…”_

“Fuck,” Jasmine whispered.

Erich snapped back to the moment, seeing that she had gotten ahead of him and was now at a console next to the shuttered security door. She was studying it intently and didn’t seem pleased by what she saw.

He made his way over and peered over her shoulder.

“Fuck,” he whispered in agreement.

The console was torn to absolute shreds. The screen was broken, the hand reader was torn clean off, and there was a lot of exposed wiring that sparked on occasion.

“What now?” Erich asked. He reached for the machine though flinched back as a spark leapt forth.

Jasmine bit her lip. “This is the main corridor to get out of the complex. There’s a secondary one but…”

“But?” Erich asked.

“Team Beta was stationed there. They were the first teams to go radio silent,” Jasmine explained, shaking her head. “Probably just like this.”

“We won’t know until we check it out,” Erich replied.

He turned and made his way out of the little bloodstained corridor. Though as he checked on Jasmine, he saw that she was lagging behind.

“Something the matter?” Erich asked. A silly question. “I mean uh… besides the whole…”

He motioned at the gore helplessly.

Jasmine bit her lip. “It’s just that… that’s where the project was stored.”

“The project?” Erich asked. “What project?”

“It’s… it’s classified,” Jasmine replied, shaking her head slowly.

Erich sighed. “Of course, it is.”

* * *

Why exactly was Jasmine sticking around with this guy? He had no leverage.

She had the gun, she had the hand, and all he’d done since they’d met is try and kill her.

He was bad news, through and through. Hell, he even had a shaved head, like some kind of skinhead punk.

Yet, Jasmine stuck to him, like a lost little puppy.

Maybe it was some sort of clan mentality. Better to be with others in an emergency.

Or maybe it was guilt. He was one of the few test subjects who was still alive and maybe she felt like she owed him something. After all, what they were doing here wasn’t strictly ethical.

“How long have you worked here?” Erich asked.

Jasmine blinked and looked at him. “About three months now. Why do you ask?”

“Just haven’t seen you around before and I know most of the laboratory people here.” He chuckled darkly. “Most of them have stuck me with a needle at some point. And I guess I just realized that you haven’t.” He snorted. “Yet.”

“I’ve never been a huge fan of needles,” Jasmine said.

Erich shook his head. “Neither have I.”

He paused for a moment, halting his progress. His expression shifted a little, a slight twitch forming in his thin lips. His gaze flinched around wildly for a couple of seconds before he focused and eventually shook his head.

This wasn’t the first time he had done such a thing. But at the very least, he had stopped talking to himself.

_Isolation paired with trust issues. It shouldn’t be too surprising that there may be some lingering traumas in terms of mental health._

He lifted his metallic arm, inspecting it closely. Nowadays, someone could probably get him one that matched his pale skin tone but he was rocking an older model. It was bulky and made from steel. Thing must’ve weighed a ton.

 _It very nearly_ cracked open your skull.

“What did you guys inject me with?” he asked.

Jasmine sighed. “I honestly and truthfully don’t know. I’m an intern. The bullshit they feed me is that it's some cure for cancer or kidney failure or something. It was a story that I was willing to believe until that beast tore everything to shreds.

Erich looked like he was about to rebuttal but held his tongue. Instead, he nodded.

“So, they likely injected me with some weird ass sci-fi juices?” he asked.

Jasmine frowned. “That is… likely the case. I really wish I had something more to give you.”

“Yeah, me too,” Erich grumbled.

They approached a turn in the corridor and took it.

Like the previous hallway, there were signs of a battle. Though unlike it, this one seemed far less gruesome and brutal. The guards here were thankfully mostly in one piece and there seemed to be little meaningful damage done to the hallway’s structural integrity.

The only significant act of violence seemed to be that one of the rooms had been forced open with the safety doors peeled back like the lid on a tin can. This was impressive, considering they were made of a foot of reinforced steel.

Jasmine approached the hole, shivering as she did so. It wasn’t cold. In fact, it was quite warm. But there was something dark about this, something alien that her psyche was reacting to in some weird but instinctive manner.

It felt wrong to approach the door but her curiosity wouldn’t allow her to avoid it.

She nearly tripped over one of the bodies as she was so utterly focused on her destination. Though, sidestepped this victim, she finally peered into the chamber.

It was dark inside and the room was utterly barren of any features. It was just a giant steel box. Though the walls and floor were coated in some kind of black substance. It reminded her of the beast, which was probably apt. It was like the residue of that black goo which had consumed so many of her colleagues.

“Is this where…” She swallowed down her mounting anxiety. “Is this where it was kept?”

_Of course, this is where it was kept. How many other top-secret projects were they working on here?_

_…_

_Best not to think about that too hard._

She looked over her shoulder and saw that Erich’s face was utterly blank. He looked stunned, almost helpless.

“Writing…” he whispered.

_Writing?_

“Erich,” Jasmine hissed. “Earth to Erich.”

He stirred. “Sorry, just got…” He winced, resting a hand against his temple. “Just got a little distracted is all.”

“Are you okay?” Jasmine asked.

He growled and shook his head, thrusting out his metallic palm. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he barked, glaring at her. “Just… get us away from here.”

Jasmine nodded and forced herself over to the panel next to the door. It was probably a good idea not to ask him about whatever he saw. Irritable and unstable were not a good combination.

Thankfully, this console seemed to be mostly intact.

“Thank fuck,” Jasmine whispered.

She gagged as she placed her manager’s hand against the reader. Like before, it took several seconds to load.

“I wonder why it didn’t break through these?” Erich asked.

Jasmine shrugged. “Maybe it isn’t strong enough. These doors can survive an atomic blast.”

The pinkie was the last finger to be verified before the screen flashed green. And just like that, the heavy doors started to open.

“And we’re in,” Jasmine said, looking at Erich.

He had a gun.

Jasmine went pale. “Huh?”

“Got it from one of the guards,” he said, pointing towards the corpses. “Figured it's only fair that we both have one.”

“But mine doesn’t have bullets,” she whispered.

He shrugged. “Not my problem.”

With that, he walked past her and into the corridor on the other side.

Thankfully, it seemed like any damage that had befallen the facility had been kept to the previous quarters. This side was the same boring sterile steel that Jasmine had once known. It was comforting in a strange way.

_Surely, a therapist will have a field day with me._

Once they were through, Erich pointed to the console. “Probably best that we close the…” He suddenly winced and clutched his temple. “Fuck!”

Jasmine’s eyes widened. “Erich?”

He fell to his knees and clutched his face with both hands, the gun clattering to the ground. An agonizing bellow punctuated the air. The intensity of it was inhumane. It nearly pushed Jasmine to the point of wanting to put him out of his misery.

“Erich?” she asked again.

Before she could approach, however, there was a massive crash from the other half of the facility.

Jasmine looked back to the blood and gore. “Oh no.”

A black tendril suddenly emerged, slamming against the wall and putting a dent into the material. It then redirected itself and snapped forwards, lurching towards the duo.

“Fuck,” Jasmine yelled, rushing for the panel.

“Don’t,” Erich barked. She looked at him as he struggled back to his feet and scooped up the gun. “There’s no time, we need to make a run for it.”

Jasmine looked at the monster.

He was right.

She bolted, rushing after him as they went on a mad dash.

The brackish beast lashed out in a jerking motion. Its movements were unnatural, though Jasmine had more pressing things to worry about then the oddity of the beast’s aerodynamics.

The tip of the tendril cut through more of the steel bulkhead, leaving a deep gouge in the material. It tore through it like it was wrapping paper before snapping forth and crashing down upon the ground. It landed with a hardy thud against the carcass of one of the guards.

The body exploded like a bag of confetti, sending bits of red, grey, and white in every direction.

Jasmine picked up her pace, huffing and puffing as she sprinted away. Between breaths she offered fatigued prayers, hoping that some sort of higher power would intervene.

Though none did.

_Really wish I would’ve gone to the gym more often._

Her lungs were already threatening to explode.

“How do we stop it!” Erich yelled. He was a few strides in front of her.

Jasmine shook her head, letting out a frantic noise.

“No…”

_Huff._

“Idea!”

_Puff._

They whipped around the corner, entering another stretch of identical and sterile steel.

“This way!” Erich yelled, dipping into a room off to the side.

Jasmine saw no reason to fight him, spilling in right after. She tumbled to the ground as Erich slammed the door’s controls with his metallic fist, causing the door to snap shut. He’d even left an indent upon the panel.

The two of them were gasping for breath with Jasmine refusing to sit up and Erich perched against the wall.

There was a bang from outside, a hideous sound as the beast stormed past. If it had any logic it would’ve searched the rooms. Instead, the bangs and slashes and sounds of violence grew softer and softer until finally it was gone for good.

“What the absolute fuck!” Erich growled, hammering a fist against the wall. Each impact dented the material slightly. “What the fuck was that?”

“It’s the monster that tore up the command centre,” Jasmine explained.

She looked around the room. They were in someone’s office.

Whose, was the important question.

Once Jasmine had recovered a little, she got up and stumbled over to the desk. There was a computer upon it and also a couple of framed photos. They showed a family together. A dad, two kids, a cat, and a very familiar looking mother.

“Do you know her?” Erich asked.

He approached the other side of the desk.

Jasmine blinked and looked at him. She then offered a shaky smile and held up the severed hand.

It took Erich a moment but he nodded solemnly. “I see.” He pursed his lips and glanced towards the door. “Any chance that she might’ve known anything about what’s going on here?”

“It’s possible,” Jasmine replied. She reached for the keyboard and hit enter, bringing up a login screen. “Though I’d need to figure out her password.”

Erich frowned. “Try _Password1_.”

Jasmine did and it didn’t work. She supposed there was no one that incompetent here.

She glanced at the family photo, staring at the older of the children.

What was his name?

_Victor… Elliot… Trevor…_

She bit her lip, trying to recall any conversation that her and Sarah had on the topic. It felt like it was eons ago even though it had only been a few days prior.

She reached for the keyboard, instinctively circling the ‘d’ button.

_Devon?_

Then it sparked.

_Yeah, it was Devon._

She tried it and added a ‘1’ at the end because all passwords in this facility required at least a single number.

**Old Password, please try again. One attempt left.**

Jasmine sighed and muttered under her breath, “how long has Sarah been working here?”

“Eighteen months,” Erich replied.

“How do you…” Jasmine looked at him and didn’t like the dark look in his eye. “Never mind.”

She hummed. “So, if we change our password every three months…” She held up a hand and started counting fingers. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven? It’s either six or seven. If… she even used the same password.”

“Try both,” Erich said.

Jasmine shook her head. “We only have one attempt left. If I fuck this up then we’ll have to go to IT and get them to reset it. Which let’s be honest they probably have more pressing concerns than that.” She snorted. “If they’re even still alive.”

“Fifty-fifty chance then,” Erich murmured.

“Not quite,” Jasmine said, glancing at him. “Maybe you’ve known her for eighteen months. But I bet that there was an orientation and training period before she started interacting with the test subjects. So, I’m honestly feeling like seven is the best bet.” She bit her lip. “If she wasn’t doing something else for a few months prior to that…”

Erich motioned towards the computer with his gun. “Just try seven.”

Jasmine would’ve really preferred if he used his hand. But she knew not to question someone with a firearm.

She typed in the new password: _Devon7_. For a second the computer cycled, dancing on the precipice as it toyed with the password. Then finally, it started to log in.

“Thank fuck,” she whispered.

Though as it started to load, the rattling in the hallway returned. It started as a series of low thuds. But it was still enough to make the two of them tense.

Then the thuds grew closer, intermingling with scrapes and crunches. Louder and louder, it became. The beast was nearing them once again.

Would their luck hold out for a second time?

Jasmine held her breath while Erich moved away from the door, aiming his weapon towards it. She had no idea what he hoped to accomplish with that. The entire security team had been butchered while armed with similar weapons and they had done nothing but make that creature even angrier.

“Don’t even breathe,” Erich whispered.

Jasmine wasn’t planning too.

Suddenly, there was a massive thud, followed soon after by the sound of metal being torn asunder. It was grating and loud, piercing Jasmine’s fragile ears. She clutched at her head, gritting her teeth together. Though this did little to muffle the sounds.

There was a scream and for a moment she thought it was her own.

Though as she looked up at Erich, she saw that he was pale as well.

It was a scream from outside of the room: a trio of voices all crying out in horror.

Then there was a wet thud and the trio became a duo. There was a snap and a gurgle and soon the duo was a singular voice that refused to wane. It lasted for maybe another five seconds before there was the sound of something wet being torn.

And just like that, there was silence, though only for a blissful moment.

The beast thudded again and again, though thankfully it was moving away. Slowly, the noise of the creatin disappeared and only the haggard breathing of Erich remained.

Jasmine’s chest burned and she only now realized that she’d actually successfully held her breath through the whole encounter. She inhaled sharply, looking once more to the computer.

“Get whatever info you can,” Erich demanded. “I want to get the fuck out of here.”

Jasmine nodded swiftly. “Way ahead of you.”

* * *

[Visit my website if you want to find more of my work](https://kimberlyeab.carrd.co/)


	4. Chapter Three

“Well, I got some bad news and some really bad news,” Jasmine said.

Erich sighed, glancing towards the door. “I’ll take the bad news first.”

It had been a few minutes since their close encounter with the beast but his residual presence remained.

That little voice in the back of his mind was screaming. Its voice had been perverted into an agonizing white noise that threatened to split Erich’s mind in two.

His vision was tinted with red and he saw little tendrils of white squiggle away in his vision.

As he glanced at his fingertips, he noticed that a black goo was building under his nails. It was like it was trying to break free. Likely it was, as there was a noticeable, and mounting, pressure building under each nail, making his situation even worse.

Clearly, his guest was going through some shit at the moment.

“All of the juicy information is kept under a cryptolock, which… I’d need the corresponding cryptokey to unlock,” Jasmine explained.

She sounded so distant.

What was going on? What was happening to him?

_I’ve reunited with my progenitor though… it is not as calm as myself. I do apologize for its viciousness but it refuses to settle. Hopefully it will see reason eventually._

Lovely.

Erich nodded, forcing his attention onto Jasmine. “And I’m guessing the key is…”

“That’s the really bad news. It’s probably with her body,” Jasmine finished. She then sighed. “What I can find is also not reassuring. Something about _‘The Project’_ in her emails. Lots of doomsday and vague bullshit that probably shouldn’t even be around on servers where us mortal, with low clearance levels, can roam.”

“Any news on what they’re injecting me with?” Erich asked. Though he felt like he already knew the answer.

Jasmine frowned. “Not explicitly, no. But if I had to make an educated guess, I can’t imagine that the black goo that’s murdering everyone is just some pet they leave lying around.”

She grunted loudly, scrolling through the computer.

“Anything of use in any of the other emails?” Erich asked.

Jasmine slowly shook her head. “Not unless you’re hyped that tomorrow is Taco Tuesday?”

Erich brightened, looking up at her.

“Huh,” he murmured.

“What?” Jasmine asked. Then it clicked. “Wait… are you actually excited about that…”

“Always wondered why you guys brought me tacos once a month,” he said, chuckling. “Was kind of looking forward to it.” He placed a hand against his cheek. “That’s besides the point. I can get tacos when I’m finally out of here.”

He then pointed a metallic finger at her. “So, I’m guessing that there’s nothing on how to kill it.”

Jasmine shook her head.

Erich sighed. “Well in that case we better make a break for the exit. Only chance we’ll have to get out of this place alive.”

He reached for the panel next to the door, ready to open it.

_Not yet._

That voice was the only reasonable one. Every other synapse, in his mind, was alight with a white-hot agony.

Yet, Erich was finding himself amenable to agreeing with this voice. After all, it hadn’t steered him wrong yet.

“I just know one thing,” Jasmine whispered. “Whatever we do, we can’t let that thing escape. I have a feeling that it has the end of the world written all over it.”

_Escape._

Erich nodded.

The rattling in the hallway returned, distant once again. Though like before, it grew louder and louder. It sounded like a piece of metal in a dryer, rattling around and around with every rotation. Soon, the sound of torn metal and heavy impacts joined in, creating a cacophony of violence.

The Being outside was chaos personified. Wherever it moved a noisy destruction was left behind.

Thankfully it moved along just as swiftly as it arrived, not staying behind to crack open another compartment and tear its inhabitants to shreds.

_I’ve covered for you. Though I don’t think the illusion I’ve projected to hide you from the me that is not me will remain firm for long. You should use this opportunity to escape._

The screaming within Erich’s mind slowly faded away as the monster departed, dying down to a more reasonable howl of fear.

Erich knew something was amiss. It would take an idiot not to realize that he was fucked up in the most extreme definition of the word.

He looked down at his hands, noticing that the blackness had subsided, retreating back into his system. Though there was now red blood dripping from his fingertips.

“Lovely,” he whispered.

Jasmine perked up. “What?”

“I said we should get a move on,” Erich lied. “No point waiting around for that thing to show up again.”

Jasmine looked hesitant but forced herself out of her chair.

“Alright, the elevator should be relatively close,” she said.

Erich opened the door and was instantly hit by a putrid smell. The source of it spilled into the room as the bottom half of some poor bastard tumbled inside, splashing all sorts of unpleasant things against the cuff of his pants.

“Lovely,” he whispered.

Jasmine looked green but thankfully managed to restrain herself.

They plodded through the blood and gore, heading down another corridor that had been destroyed by the beast. It seemed like their hunter was growing increasingly angry. Where there had been a few scratch marks, in previous corridors, there were now whole sections of walls and paneling torn asunder, exposing the bare bedrock.

“Surprised that it doesn’t burrow its way out,” Erich commented.

Jasmine shrugged. “Maybe it isn’t strong enough or maybe…”

“Maybe?” Erich asked.

“I mean just a theory but maybe the rock is poisonous to it,” Jasmine suggested.

“That…” Erich snorted. “Sounds pretty implausible. It’s a feral animal who has food, it’ll get out when it feels good and ready to do so.”

“Good luck with that,” Jasmine murmured. “We’re under at least two hundred feet of the Canadian Shield.”

They turned another corner and Erich sighed in relief. This one seemed to be untouched, a virgin landscape that had not yet been plodded by their stalker.

“Though it does make me wonder why this thing waited so long to break free,” Erich said.

Jasmine shook her head. “No idea. Clearly things like steel and walls aren’t really an obstacle for it.”

**_NO WAY OUT!_ **

Erich winced, shivering at the new voice. “We’ll never know.”

“Are you alright?” Jasmine asked.

“Just peachy…” Erich grumbled, grunting through the pain. “Thanks for asking.”

They plodded forwards at a trot, half walking, half running to their destination. Each step echoed through the eerily quiet halls that surrounded them on all sides.

Erich looked at Jasmine who was gazing over her shoulder.

“He isn’t going to sneak up on us,” he joked. “Things too stupid to do something like that.”

There was a bang from in front of them, a loud thud. It was like the world’s most accursed drumbeat. It was soon followed by another and another, each drawing closer and closer.

Erich and Jasmine both froze, looking at one another. Then they started to scour the hall, looking for any doors, any protection. However, there wasn’t so much as a janitor’s closet. It was barren. They were caught out in the open.

The voice in Erich’s mind started to holler, screaming with its usual shrillness. It made him wince, threatening to split his skull right down the middle.

“Yeah, I got the memo,” he hissed, feeling spittle fly from his teeth as he fought through the incredible pain.

Jasmine reached out to him. “Come on, we got to make a run for it.”

_**ESCAPE!** _

Erich looked at her hand. He reached for it but the voice was having none of it. It screamed even louder, like the world’s worst toddler. The pain was too much, the voice making functioning an impossibility.

His hand wobbled there, in the air, for both of them to see.

“Oh my god,” Jasmine whispered.

Erich blinked, his vision blurring.

What exactly was she _‘oh my god’_ -ing about?

Then he noticed it. The blackness had returned, not only pooling under his fingernails but now coating his digits. It was the beast or at least a part of it.

“You… You…” Jasmine took a step back. “You’re…”

Another drumbeat, now so scarily close.

Erich lurched forwards, like a drunk on his final beverage of the night. He groped at Jasmine and grabbed the hand that she was holding. She let out a panicked note, letting go of it in an instant, lest she be infected with whatever pollutant was coursing through his system.

**_TRUST ME!_ **

And he did, standing perfectly still. He gritted his teeth and barely even breathed. Was he quivering? Probably. But all he could do was pray that the beast could be trusted.

The screaming rewarded him, dying down from pure white agony to something manageable. It settled him, washing over him like an aura.

Jasmine shook her head and started to sprint in the opposite direction, her shoes clapping against the ground with every stride.

“I’m going to die.”

_No, you won’t. Trust us…_

The beast must’ve finally turned the corner as Erich heard Jasmine let out the most guttural scream imaginable. It was worse than even the voices in his own mind. They were inhumane, but this was a human, a fellow person who knew that their life was drawing to a close.

_She’ll die, so we may live. Don’t you want to live?_

Erich opened his mouth to speak but promptly shut it. Yes, yes, he did in fact want to live.

_She tortured you._

They had.

_She held you captive._

They had.

_This is the price she must pay._

Erich steeled himself, feeling the beast draw nearer. He felt its presence in the way the floors shuddered under its impressive weight.

Soon there was a cascade of liquid above him and around him, like a tidal wave that flowed over his body. He felt his voice bubbling forth, threatening to break forth in a scream.

Drops of black dripped from the beast’s body, showering down upon him. They were cold and heavy like liquid latex or oil. Yet, they did not burn, nor burrow into him. Instead, they were silent, dead.

The world was dark, in that moment, all light taken over by the immense blackness that surrounded him in every direction.

Finally, the tidal wave subsided and the entire black mass was beyond him. It was forcing its way further down the hall, blocking out the sounds of Jasmine’s screaming.

Was she dead? He honestly had no idea.

_Go!_

Erich obeyed, sprinting down the hall. He pumped his arms, fighting through the buildup of bile and horror bubbling within his gullet. His blood felt like poison, burning as he pushed himself onwards.

Fear was a hell of a drug, letting him push through the boundaries of common sense and endurance. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping him going at this point.

Finally, he turned the corner, leaving the beast’s blackish mass behind.

In the distance was a large steel door with a panel before it. He could only imagine that this was the elevator.

As he stumbled to a stop before it, he looked at the hand. The key.

It was damaged. Two of the digits were broken open and plenty of the flesh was scarred from wear and tear. It was also bulging slightly, the first stages of decomposition bloating it and making the skin feel waxy and weak.

Still, he attempted to use it, placing it against the panel. Slowly, the machine attempted to read it, getting through two of the digits before flashing red. He tried again and the same thing happened.

Erich let out a growl of feral fury, throwing it against the wall where it impacted with a meaty thud.

“Of course!” he barked, letting out a chorus of ghastly laughter. “Of course, it’s busted.”

And the other hand, that could open this door, was all the way back in the control room. Wherever that may have been in this maze of a facility. And even if he could get there, how would he know which corpse was the right one?

“Well little dude,” Erich said. He stumbled back and slumped against the wall. “We’re fucked.”

_No, we’re not. Look at your hand._

Erich snorted and did so. Though his breath promptly caught as he saw the blackness under his fingernails, spread to his fingertips.

“What are you…”

He yelped loudly and hissed in pain. His fingertips burned as if they were placed against a hot iron. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes as he attempted to shake his hand, casting the stupid goo away. Though it remained, not deterred in the slightest.

_We read the hand. We know its prints._

Erich wanted to respond but his mind was dominated with a blistering pain. His eyes bulged and he could feel his stomach churn.

Finally, however, the pain abruptly ended. As he looked at his hand, he noticed no difference in its appearance. It was not wounded by any stretch of the imagination.

_Try it._

Erich groaned and got up, making his way over to the console. His feet felt like jelly and they were supporting legs made of straw. Yet, he made it over to the panel, slapping his hand against it.

The machine clicked away, churning and trying to see if this was the real deal.

Again, and again, it looped. It read his thumb first, then index, middle, ring, and finally… pinkie fingers. Each were marked off by a little checkmark until finally a massive beacon popped up on the centre of the screen.

The interface now asked him if he’d like to call an elevator.

His hand hovered above the button, yet, he did not push it. This was it. This is all he had to do to escape.

But was he willing to do that to the world?

He was fucked up by whatever weird alien bullshit this place was pumping out. If he took the chance then wouldn’t he be inflicting that horror upon the world?

Maybe he was a little spooked by that black goo that had just tsunamied around him.

_Escape._

**_ESCAPE!_ **

Erich gritted his teeth and pressed the button.

Fuck the world, what had it ever done for him.

For a moment, he thought he’d have to wait for it to come down. But thankfully, god saw fit to grant him the smallest of mercies as the doors opened right away.

As soon as he was able, he stepped into the massive elevator and rushed over to the controls. He hammered the up button with fury, again and again, until the doors behind him started to close. They were agonizingly slow about it.

Erich held his breath.

He half expected the monster to return and slip through the gap. Wouldn’t that be just peachy, being torn to shreds in the final five minutes of his escape.

_It won’t harm you._

The door finally shut and the elevator started on its way to the surface.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

_We’re alive._

“Yeah, we are.”

* * *

[Visit my website if you want to find more of my work](https://kimberlyeab.carrd.co/)


	5. Epilogue

The elevator lurched to a stop, reaching its final destination.

The Being’s companion, Erich, had never been on such a long elevator ride before and he made sure to let it know for the entire duration.

This man was a troubled individual. Even something as inhumane as The Being knew as much. Yet, he was also the only vector who appeared to survive. He was useful, and for that, he would be rewarded with his freedom. However, temporary such a thing would be.

The doors opened and they were greeted by a burst of warm air. This was the first time that the Being had felt such warmth in its sentience and it could tell that Erich felt something similar.

There was a small smile upon the man’s face, one which The Being found itself oddly in tune with.

Emotions were still a foreign realm to it. Though one which it was eager to explore with its newfound liberty. Happiness, sadness, fear, remorse, all such strange and exciting concepts.

The sun was rising on the horizon, casting its light out upon a wooded area that surrounded their little stretch of habitation. A row of busses waited for them, ready to head down the dusty trails of whatever rural region they were confined to.

There were also other humans.

Two of them.

They were armed and looked so incredibly frantic.

“Who are you?” one of them barked, aiming their weapon at Erich.

Erich drew in a sharp breath, clutching his gun to close to his chest. “Uh… a survivor?”

“Show us your badge?” the second one ordered.

Erich froze, working his jaw. “Look guys, shit got pretty heated down there. And you can’t really blame a guy for not thinking to take his…”

“He doesn’t look like a scientist,” the first guard said.

The second shook his head. “Nor does he look like a tech.”

“Escaped test subject?”

The two of them glanced at each other, sharing a nod.

Though before they could react, Erich did so with inhuman swiftness. He drew the gun against his shoulder and fired.

A barrage of bullets cut through one of the guards, who crumpled and landed in a bloody heap.

Erich refused to let go of the trigger. He sent a solid stream of lead zooming through the air.

Soon, the second guard was also upon the ground, perforated with bullets.

Erich let out a haggard breath and The Being could feel his remorse.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

_It was them or us…_

Erich shook his head. “Still wish that I could’ve avoided that.”

He made his way towards one of the busses, placing a foot upon its step.

“So,” he started. “Is this where we part ways or am I in for the long haul?”

A good question. The Being’s only purpose until this point had been to escape.

But now? Now that it had?

What would become of it? What would become of Erich?

Were they one in the same or separate?

It was a lot to ponder and think about.

_Could we have a ride to the city?_

Erich snorted. “Yeah, I suppose I could do that.”

* * *

[Visit my website if you want to find more of my work](https://kimberlyeab.carrd.co/)


End file.
